In an effort to promote his stage show, Paul McKenna rambled a bit and said a couple things that I hope were taken a bit out of context, despite being the headline of the article . . . Adolf H Could Do It . . . this banner judgment was part of a bit McKenna was explaining about telephone hypnosis, hypnotizing a person via telephone:

Paul McKenna, who is billed as “the world’s most successful hypnotist”, confirms it is possible to hypnotise someone over the telephone – so apologies in advance if this article wanders off at bizarre tangents. The 40-year-old says he has been asked to perform this service on occasions and once cured “a very well known musician” of writer’s block. It’s all to do with the voice and the choice of words, he explains. Moreover, he says anyone can learn to do it. “It’s a communication skill and, like anything else, some people are going to be better at it than others, but it is something you can learn if you dedicate yourself to it. “Basically, we all share the same neurology and physiology so are equipped to do the same things.”

This is a no-brainer . . . of course telephone hypnosis is possible. Most formal hypnosis is done via voice with a subject’s eyes closed . . . doesn’t have to be that way, but it usually is for convenience and to help a person focus . . . so since a telephone is a great way to concentrate on a voice, one can use it too. This is NOT a breakthrough. It’s old news.

Now, the next bit is where McKenna goes on a tangent:

Hitler studied the techniques, says Paul, and Bill Clinton seemed a natural. George W Bush could do with a bit of tuition.

While it seems that McKenna is referring to Hitler as a telephone hypnotist, this bit is not really about hypnosis or about telephones, it’s just about good communication skills that influence others . . . albeit, I would agree that GWB could use some hypnotherapy or therapy of some kind . . . something that would help him get back into the reality game.

As to telephone hypnosis . . . there’s lots of ways to do hypnosis . . . in person, telephone, recording, internet via webcam and microphone or even just be text chat online or an email (I wrote chapter for a book on that last bit).

It can be fun to play around a bit and discover new ways to use hypnosis.